The Department of Physics and Astronomy master’s program at Washington State University is designed to produce leaders in industry, in academia, and at national laboratories. The department’s progressive environment seeks to provide an atmosphere that fosters intellectual growth and quantitative reasoning. The program engages students in teaching and research activities that provide the skills, knowledge, and ability for critical thinking that will enable them to be productive members of society. In the process, our goal is to lay the foundations for technological advances that improve our quality of life.

Student Learning Outcomes:

All graduates will be able to:

Have the preparation to pursue successful careers in industry, government, and university.
Conduct physics and astronomy research in industry, national laboratories, and academia in collaborative environments.
Have the training to provide leadership and expertise at local, state, national and international levels for the improvement of physics graduate education.
Be sensitive to issues of diversity and be able to integrate this sensitivity into their respective professional roles.
Be effective in consultation, communication, and human relations skills across professional contexts.

Student Opportunities:

While the Department of Physics and Astronomy conducts research in the traditional areas of physics, it has enhanced its program by focusing on three areas of research excellence: Astrophysics, Extreme Matter, and Materials and Optics. Astrophysics seeks to answer some of the most basic questions about the universe and space-time and is in high demand from the students. Materials and Optics, and Extreme Matter are at the forefront of important technological advances. These research areas are supported by two WSU research units, the Center for Materials Research (CMR) and Institute for Shock Physics (ISP) as well as unique regional facilities such as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO.

Career Opportunities:

Engineering positions at Boeing and Lockheed Corporations; NASA; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Los Alamos National Laboratory; Schweitzer Engineering, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Career Placements:

Senior computer scientist; science historian; staff scientist in applied research; meteorology; space industry; fiber optics; oceanic exploration